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I hope you all had a great Memorial Day Weekend. Mine was spent at a friend's house on Indian Creek in Kilmarnock, Virginia with my leg propped up and ice sporadically on it. The knee is doing great and I am glad to be getting back to normal.


Coming up is one of my favorite events that is special to me. The Global Jewelry Fest kickoff is Sunday, June 1 at midnight. Working on artisan crafted jewelry and our top designers have been two of the highlights of my ten years at QVC. I have been lucky enough to travel to the Southwest USA to work with the beautiful (inside and out) Caroline Pollack, Bali to work on product development with the colorful and talented Suarti, and multiple trips to India, Thailand, China, Nepal, Italy, Mexico, and Turkey meeting with the artisans that create this unique, gorgeous jewelry exclusive to QVC.


There has been so much negative publicity lately about products produced in China that I need address how proud I am of the artisans that we would with in Beijing. During the Cultural Revolution, jewelry making was banned by the Communist Regime. The extremely talented craftsmen that worked for the Imperial Workshops had to go underground and pass their skills and talents secretly to their relatives and a select few close friends. Today, those restrictions are no longer in place, and we were lucky enough to work with the students of the original Imperial Workshops to create their masterpieces for QVC. One of my favorite pieces of jewelry (owned by my Mother and Sister) is a turquoise bracelet. We worked closely with the artisans and for the first time, it is offered in lapis. WOW, it is gorgeous.


I also wanted to mention how important the artisan crafted business has become to many of these cultures. Remember, these pieces are not made in factories with big machines but in cottage industries with families and friends working together. That is why it can take QVC up to 12-18 months to receive many artisan crafted pieces. The most important part of this business is how it has helped people around the world. For example, the hill tribes in Northern Thailand have been able to build better homes, paved streets, and even schools because of their involvement in the artisan crafted jewelry industry. We visit the artisans several times a year to make sure that our jewelry is being created under the best conditions and that the people involved are benefitting by it. This is also true in India, China, and all of the other countries we deal with.


Please tune in this coming week. I will be on with Lisa Robertson from 9-12 PM on Sunday June 1 for the 7th anniversary of silver Marketplace. There are so many beautiful pieces in the shows during the week. Suarti starts off the event with a fabulous gemstone bracelet. For the first time, we will have pictures and B roll of the artisans actually making the TSV.


If you want me to answer any questions or address any issues during the on-air shows, please comment to this blog.


Take care, Peyton